Gunner&#39;s control handle for a fire control system



July 23, 1957 A. T. HENSHALL ETAL 2,800,058

GUNNERS CONTROL HANDLE FOR A FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM Filed May 11, 1954 ARTHUR Z HEWSHALL GHWRLE? G. 7 OWL/W501?! GUN-NEWS CONTROL -HANDLE FOR A FIRE .CO T DS WM Arthur T.-Henshall, Baltimore, and Charles C. Tomlinson, Glen Burnie, :Md.,:assignrs,!tbytmesne assignments, to :thesUnitedxStates 10f Arnericavasrepresented by the scre a ye iheN y Application May.1'1,'1954,' Serial"No.42,141

The present invention relates.to ,a,fire control ,sy st e m gunnerfs control handlev and. more particularly to ,a ,con-

trol handle which will pivot about a :point located on a plane .asa radius ofa; spherewould move.aboutin a segment of thesphere and which will translate these rotary movements into rectangular coordinates.

.The previously known-fire .control system gunnerfs control handles have been mounted in fixed and'swinging the prior known devieesby the provision of-a control handle which is-srnall, light and inexpensive and all-com- *-ponents ofwhich are-mounted -onstationary structure.

An object of the. present inventionis the provision of a fire control system gunners controlhandle which is inexpensive to manufacture, rugged'in operation, and easy to maintain.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a gunners control handle which eliminates all lead wire flexing. I

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein the figure shows a perspective View of a control handle and its associated signal pickoffs according to the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the handle 11 is mounted on a shaft 12 which is affixed to the upper surface of a block 13. The block 13 is gimballed in the yoke 14 by means of transverse pin 15, the ends of which are received in the openings 16 in the arms 17 of the yoke. The handle 11 and the block 13 are thus capable of pivotal movement within the yoke about the pin as an axis. The base of the yoke 14 is affixed at its midpoint to one end of a shaft 18 the shank of which extends through and is journalled within a stationary bearing block 19. A sector gear 21 is secured to the free end of shaft 18 which protrudes from the bearing block. The bearing block 19 supports the handle assembly and the yoke affixed to the shaft 18 and permits pivotal movement of the handle and the yoke about the shaft 18 with the shaft as an axis of rotation. This pivotal movement of the handle is transmitted by the sector gear 21 to the gear train 22 (shown schematically in dotted lines) which drives the azimuth signal pickoil 23.

At the open end of the yoke 14, a flat cam 24 is secured to the side of block 13 in the plane of the handle 11. The edge of the cam 24 removed from the block 13 is curved in a vertical plane to form a flat cam surface 70 25 along which rides a cam follower 26. The follower 26 consists of a shaft 27 slidably mounted in stationary 2 ,bearingblock 28 and spring-loaded-so as to bearagainst sutfaceQShymeans, of compression spring 29 surround- .ing the,-sha;nk of the shaft-and compressed between one surfaceofthe beaping'blocklS and the collar 31. The lfreeendlofthehaft27 isprovidedwith a longitudinal nack 32 which mesheswith.gear train 33 (shown schematieally in dotted lines) to drive the elevation signal pick- .efifis In. aperatioi ta transverse movement of the handle 11 rotates shaft 18in the same, direction within the bearing block 19;andirnparts;movement to sector gear 21 which activates thenzimuth signal pickoif 23 through gear train 22. A;for;war d orrearward movement of the handle rot ates cam,24 about the pin causing thespring-loaded 15 ,ffollower26, to retract, or-project respectively, thus moving rack 32 -and.activating'the elevation ,signal pickoif 34 hym ansef se mra i A By per choice of sizes andinumbers of .gears ,in ,the -ge; tiiains22 and 33. respectively, themovements of theiseetor gear,21and the rack32 may be magnified andorgeversedz to. provide azimuth and. elevation pick- .pif s igna lsof the propermagnitudeand direction; To provi de functional' linearity between the handle and the elevation raek,. the ream must. be mounted inthe plane of cente l neot h lhandle th aam o l we 2, should ,be,a;pointcontact,follower, ,and; the cam surface may h e iterlch medea sp r r toid--.az .mu t ws alk .01 th sl va nsou bnt it ne s ry t t -p o ,.,,c,ont act between the cam surfacetand the cam follower :be, on theaxis of, rotation of; the yoke- 14.

Qbviously ;rnany modifications and .variations of the nesent invention are possible in the lighttof the above etchings. ,lt vis ther-efore,to ,be understood that within e soope of the, appendedplaimsthe invention may be Intest n sthetwiseth n a ts ec fi al idss r bed- What is claimed is:

1. A fire control system gunners control handle comprising first and second rigid supports; a yoke having a pair of arms and a cylindrical shank journalled within said first support for axial rotation therein; gear means on said shank; a. handle assembly gimballed between the arms of said yoke, said handle assembly including a handle and a cam mounted in the plane of the centerline of said handle; a cam follower mounted for reciprocating movement in said second support and bearing against said cam on the axis of rotation of said yoke; and rack means on said follower; whereby transverse movement of the handle rotates the cylindrical shank and its gear means for activating an azimuth signal pickoif, and forward or rearward movement of the handle rotates the cam causing longitudinal movement of the follower and its rack means for activating an elevation signal pickotf.

2. A fire control system gunners control handle comprising a yoke having a pair of arms and a shank; gear means on said shank; a handle assembly gimballed between the arms of said yoke, said handle assembly including a handle and a cam mounted in the plane of the centerline of said handle; a cam follower bearing against said cam on the axis of rotation of said yoke; and rack means on said follower; whereby transverse movement of the handle rotates the shank and its gear means for activating an azimuth signal pickolf, and forward or rearward movement of the handle rotates the cam causing longitudinalmovement of the follower and its rack means for activating an elevation signal pickofif.

3. A fire control system gunners control handle comprising first and second rigid supports; a yoke having a pair of arms and a cylindrical shank journalled within said first support for axial rotation therein; gear means on said shank; a handle assembly gimballed between the arms of said yoke, said handle assembly including a han- 1 71 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 111 1 1 1 1 10 1 1 2:,15|1)Q,Q5g1@ 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 hafni said: assembly: inichl in gi I :hmdi i 1 16585 fi 5 8 ha i g: :a' curv d :sur z'ac m un fid th 9 am: i z znt a in a 1 h n lw w fi rwn w: w l 1 161. mcmniedfoinriecrpno atin evemsntin said second s11 A 1' 1 fl l i i.

system our-nailed in: said first :s'uppiort: for axial mtation; therein; 

